Pea & ham soup is a simple, hearty classic that makes the most of split peas and a ham bone for rich, savoury depth. It’s easy to throw together, just make sure to soak the peas overnight. Once blended, garnish with diced ham and chives for a bit of colour and extra flavour. Perfect for lunch or dinner, and even better the next day
Category
Dinner
Servings
6
Prep time
1 hour
Cook time
1 hour
Pea & ham soup is a simple, hearty classic that makes the most of split peas and a ham bone for rich, savoury depth. It’s easy to throw together, just make sure to soak the peas overnight. Once blended, garnish with diced ham and chives for a bit of colour and extra flavour. Perfect for lunch or dinner, and even better the next day
Ingredients
- 250g (9 oz) split peas, soaked in water overnight
- 1 carrot, diced
- 2 shallots, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
- 2 sticks of celery, diced
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- 1 litre (1¾ pints) chicken stock
- 1 ham bone
- diced ham, for garnish
- sliced chives, for garnish
Directions
The day before, place the split peas in a container and cover them completely with water, ensuring there is at least 75% extra water above the peas. Refrigerate and soak for 24 hours.
- Drain the soaked split peas and rinse them under running water.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until hot.
- Add the diced carrot and shallots to the pot with a pinch of salt, sautéing until they are translucent.
- Add the garlic and celery, stirring briefly to combine.
- Add the drained split peas to the pot and stir them in with the other vegetables.
- Pour in the chicken stock and add the ham bone.
- Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 50 minutes to an hour, or until the split peas are completely soft.
- Remove the ham bone and any large pieces of cartilage from the soup.
- Using a stick blender, blend the soup until reasonably smooth. You can leave it slightly chunky if preferred.
- Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning, remembering the ham bone adds a lot of salt naturally.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with diced leftover ham, freshly sliced chives, and a drizzle of olive oil.
